colonist

noun

col·​o·​nist ˈkä-lə-nist 

plural colonists

see usage paragraph below

: a member or inhabitant of a colony (see colony sense 1)

the Jamestown/Plymouth colonists

especially : a person who migrates to and settles in a foreign area as part of a colony

Honeybees aren't native to North America; early colonists brought them over from Europe to provide honey and beeswax.

—Paige Embry

Usage of Colonist and Colonizer

Colonist and colonizer both have meanings closely tied to the word colonialism in its use referring to domination of a foreign people or area. Colonist, which comes directly from the noun colony, is the more common—and usually more neutral—term. Colonizer, which comes from the verb colonize, is used especially in contexts in which the exploitative nature of colonialism is being discussed or evoked; in phrases like "colonizer mindset/mentality" it implies a benefit from or even active participation in that exploitation.

Synonyms

• colonial
• colonizer
• frontiersman
• homesteader
• pioneer
• settler

Examples of colonist in a Sentence

British colonists settled the area in the 18th century.

over time the colonists began to sense that they were becoming a people unto themselves

Recent Examples on the Web

Not for British colonists in North America, though. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2024

Malus domestica was introduced to North America by 16th-century explorers and later by colonists. —arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024

Their ancestors arrived on the continent some 50,000 years before British colonists yet were marginalized during colonial rule and are not mentioned in Australia’s 123-year-old constitution. —Reuters, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024

In the 16th century, Spanish colonists in Peru came across the vegetable and transported potatoes back to Europe. —Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

colonist

noun

col·​o·​nist ˈkäl-ə-nəst 

1

: a person who lives in a colony

2

: a person who takes part in founding a colony